How Australians’ Personal Data Could Soon Be Accessed by US Agencies
(SBS News, Feb 14, 2026)
Australia may face pressure to expand biometric data-sharing with US agencies as part of enhanced travel vetting tied to the US Visa Waiver Program, potentially exposing passport/ID records, facial images, fingerprints and related law-enforcement/immigration data to broader access. Privacy and AI-governance experts warn that once biometric identifiers enter US systems, downstream uses and sharing can expand beyond the original purpose, increasing risks around oversight, retention, misuse, and breach exposure given the irrevocable nature of biometrics.
UK Data Watchdog Responds to Govt Consultation on Police Use of Facial Recognition
(Biometric Update, Feb 13, 2026)
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office urged the government to create clearer, more specific rules for police use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies that build on existing data-protection law rather than replace it. The watchdog also flagged risks around fragmented oversight (including proposals for a consolidated “one-stop shop” regulator) and warned that weakened protections could jeopardize the UK’s EU data-adequacy status, with knock-on effects for cross-border data sharing.
Police to Use Live Facial Recognition Cameras in Norwich
(Norwich Evening News, Feb 13, 2026)
Norfolk Police is introducing live facial recognition (LFR) deployments in Norwich, using cameras to capture facial biometrics in public and compare them in real time against a watchlist of wanted people, high-risk individuals, or those breaching court orders. The rollout underscores the ongoing governance debate around biometric surveillance, including transparency, watchlist controls, and how quickly images of non-matches are deleted.
Meta Apparently Thinks We’re Too Distracted to Care About Facial Recognition and Ray-Bans
(Business Insider, Feb 13, 2026)
Meta is reportedly exploring adding facial recognition to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, with an internal memo suggesting the company could roll it out during a “dynamic political environment” when privacy and civil-society groups may be stretched thin. The reporting highlights how on-device cameras paired with face-matching could enable real-time biometric identification in public settings, reviving concerns about consent, oversight, and misuse—especially after prior demonstrations showed similar glasses could be adapted for face search using third-party tools.
Advocates Say Law Enforcement Needs Tighter Restrictions on Facial Recognition Software.
(WBUR, Feb 13, 2026)
Biometric identification tools used during arrests—including facial recognition and iris scanning—are drawing renewed scrutiny as agencies expand their reliance on systems that scan physical traits to identify people. Massachusetts-based Bi2 Technologies’ DHS/ICE-related iris-scanning work is cited as an example, while ACLU of Massachusetts advocates argue for clearer state-level guardrails governing how biometric data is collected, used, and regulated.
